QUESTION: We have several employees, primarily mothers, who are parenting younger children. Are there strategies we should consider for recruiting, retaining and better supporting these employees? We notice that some of them struggle to balance child care, school and work schedules. ANSWER: According to data collected by Harvard University, approximately 73% of all employees […]
QUESTION: We are really struggling to retain our administrative staff. Not only is it challenging to find qualified people, but those that we have hired end up not working out for a variety of reasons. These roles are so important to help our busy company run smoothly. Are there other strategies we should try to […]
QUESTION: I know I am supposed to conduct employee evaluations on a regular basis. I understand why they are important, and I have the best intentions of doing them each year. However, I struggle to complete them. In fact, I dread it! Do you have any tips to make this process less painful and more […]
QUESTION: I hired a woman with very little experience as my Office Manager. She retired from the corporate world and understands management better than anyone I know. She has cleaned up the office and we no longer have excessive absenteeism and tardiness; people are working together and productivity is up. She had to do this […]
QUESTION: I have a small business with only three employees. With such a small company, why do I need an employee handbook and what are the minimum policies I can get away with? ANSWER: If you have one employee or 20 employees, you need an employee handbook. This is the best tool to communicate […]
Welcome to the June edition of HR Hot Topics! It’s a gorgeous summer day, and it actually coincides really nicely with the topic I wanted to talk with you all about, which is employing youth during the summer. You can bet both of my kids have jobs this summer because that’s just how I […]
Welcome to the May edition of HR Hot Topics! This month, I want to hit on a couple of things. Two new rules are in place and they both were part of an Appropriations Act that President Biden signed into law at the tail end of 2022. These rules have some effective dates that […]
Welcome to the April edition of HR Hot Topics! This month, I want to give you a few updates on recent bills that were signed into law here in the state of Michigan. I want to draw your attention to something that is supposedly coming at the federal level. And if it does come […]
Hello, and welcome to the March edition of HR Hot Topics! This month, I have a few things I want to talk through with you. One, I just came back from a presentation I did on setting healthy boundaries and emotional professionalism, both of which I thought were important topics for all of you […]
Hello, and welcome to the February edition of HR Hot Topics! So it being February and the month of romance, I know this is coming to you on Valentine’s Day. A quick reminder folks, if you haven’t gotten your loved one a little something for Valentine’s Day, do so before you get home today! […]